The mere fact
that there is no moral or spiritual lesson engrained into the plot of Moms’ Night Out means a step forward for
the faith-based film industry. In the same year that major studios also found
source material for their movies in biblical stories, Christian-made films have
also started to understand the concept of entertainment. This one is still far
from being anywhere near good, and despite a storyline involving mothers, much
of the humor appears meant to amuse the children dragged to theaters this past
Mother’s Day. There is enough mature material to appease the adults, and the
entire subject of the film may go over most children’s heads. In trying to
appease everyone, they have made a movie for no one.

Donnie Yen has
an amazing martial arts background, and when combined with his cinematic
abilities this can make him an incredible asset to a feature. This is why it
was so disappointing to find his talents weren’t put to full use in 14 Blades,
a film which prefers inconsistent special effects over the skills possessed by
the cast. Or perhaps Yen is simply getting older, transitioning to a different
type of roles. Whatever the reason, 14
Blades feels like a film that should have been better than the average
viewing experience it provides.

I enjoy horror
movies with possessed toys as much as the next person, which is why I found
Baby Blues so disappointing. While the end of the film finally utilizes the
creepy doll featured on the cover, the first half of the film is more about a
cursed pop song than the toy, despite cheesy overlapping footage to insinuate
that the doll is using mind control to puppet people’s actions upon hearing the
song. Clearly created for 3D theatrical exhibition, Baby Blues also has all of the elements which enhance this medium,
despite the fact that brightly lit scenes and slow motion sequences are not
conducive to the horror genre.

Adapted from the
classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, Queen
Margot gives narrative to the real-life Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre,
which resulted in an unknown numbers of Protestants being slaughtered in France, 1572. It
is a period piece that is absolutely brimming with urgency, rich with details
of the period down to the ugliest blemishes. We feel immersed in another time,
as though the world that director Patrice Chéreau has created would naturally
extend beyond the view of the camera. All of the dirt and the blood which soils
all of the fancy French garments bring the period to life in a way that makes
the critical praise acquired by the film’s original 1994 debut at the Cannes
Film Festival completely understandable.

Nearly every
element of Blood Glacier seems
slightly derivative of recognizable horror/sci-fi film classics, but this is
one of those genres where originality is not always the most important thing.
There is even a throwback on the style of filmmaking, with practical effects in
favor of the computer generated post-production work. German director Marvin
Kren isn’t reinventing the wheel as much as he is rediscovering it, and it is a
nostalgic journey that any true fan of 1970s and ‘80s horror will relish.

The saddest
aspect of the narrative of youthful prostitution in Young & Beautiful is how derivative it feels. I’m sure that it
is an accurate portrayal worldwide, whether young girls becoming escorts as an
even more lucrative option than stripping to put themselves through college, or
those who take on the profession with no other options. At the same time, the
film industry seems to latch onto these narratives far too often, and it just
begins to feel like an excuse to encourage the male gaze, with actresses that
always look young and beautiful.

There is a long history of understated romance
films like A Promise, with desire
abstained from because of impropriety or distance. In many regards, I felt as
though I had seen this film already, but that will not subtract from the enjoyment
for fans of romance films filled with more longing than physical contact. Much
of this enjoyment comes from an engaging cast and capable direction from
Patrice Leconte. There are some melodramatic indulgences buried in the
screenplay, but credit/fault is more likely to lie at the feet of the author of
the novel that the film is based on.

Vengeance is Mine is the character study
of a killer thief on the run, but it keeps the audience at a distance that
never fully allows understanding of the deviant actions of our anti-hero.
Following in the tradition of In Cold
Blood and Purple Noon, the true
evidence lies in his murderous actions, regardless of what masks are worn for
the public. Director Shohei Imamura takes the real-life events from a 78-day
manhunt for a thief and killer, translating the story into something with
parallels in Japanese society in the late 1970s.

More
heavy-handed melodrama than hard-boiled gangster film, Triad is somewhat of
letdown for what the title offers. Perhaps the filmmakers intended to give a
more realistic portrayal of the Triad gang lifestyle, but the slow-motion romance
scenes destroy this realism rather quickly. Although there are a few sequences
of extreme violence, much of the film resembles something you might see in a
soap opera.